Amplification Avenue - Bryant McBride, Producer, Willie

In the second episode of the Amplification Avenue Podcast, host Skip Perham and producer Alex Caruso break down a variety of topics including: Intro to the Podcast - 0:00:03 Skip introduces the podcast, what it is about, and the topics to be covered on this episode. Beyond the Pitch - 0:01:35 Skip and Alex talk about the top headlines that highlight where sports and society intersect including: -The NCAA announced that the Women’s Basketball Tournament would be branded as “March Madness”. This would appear to be an effort to increase equity in the women’s tournament.  Is this window dressing? Should the NCAA consider playing the Men’s and Women’s Final Four on the same weekend in the same city and build a co-ed mega event? -MLB created a postseason branding campaign “Make It Major”. The campaign featured music from Lil’ Nas X and highlights the game’s youth.  The creative is the league’s most recent attempt to attract younger audiences. The branding is great but is it enough to save the game? What would be your ideas to improve baseball’s appeal with younger fans? The Agenda - 0:11:24 Skip talks with Bryant McBride, a veteran of the hockey industry, a former VP at the NHL and producer of the acclaimed documentary Willie which chronicles the first black hockey player to skate in the NHL. Start/Sub/Cut - 0:38:24 We talk winners and losers off the field of play: -Brooklyn Nets telling Kyrie you are either all in or out -Owner Dan Snyder said in a press release that while he took ownership of the problem, he “didn’t realize the extent of the problem.” perhaps he was referring the extend of the problem in the league -NWSL Commissioner sitting on abuse crisis issues -John Gruden getting fired for racist emails -Dak Prescott’s return from severe injury -Red Sox Playoff run Outro: 0:44:12 Where to find future episodes, thanking Bryant McBride, Pyramid Thieves, closing